Local History & Genealogy

In addition to hundreds of books about the Battle of Lexington[1], Cary Memorial Library has a substantial collection of materials on life in Lexington from the Colonial and Revolutionary periods to the present day. These materials are found in the Lexington Collection and the Edwin B. Worthen Collection.

Materials in the Lexington Collection include published histories, Town reports, planning and zoning studies, Lexington High School yearbooks, family histories, newspapers, vital records, voting lists, street directories and vertical file materials, as well as histories of surrounding towns. These may be found by searching for specific topics in the Minuteman Library Network’s catalog[3] or by browsing through a detailed listing of local history materials and resources[4].

Donated to Cary Library in 1976, the Edwin B. Worthen Collection documents life in Lexington from the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries. In addition to approximately 500 books, the Worthen Collection includes: